We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.” In 2025, that advice has never been more urgent, especially for students. With nearly every kid walking into the new school year carrying a smartphone, social media has become as much a part of the school experience as textbooks and homework. Teaching students social media literacy will be paramount as technology advances and new platforms emerge.
From schools using Instagram as the new bulletin board to TikTok study tips flooding feeds, digital spaces are where students connect, learn, and advocate. But they’re also where misinformation spreads faster than a note passed in homeroom. The challenge for educators, parents, and nonprofits alike is clear: How do we help young people engage with these platforms in ways that empower them, instead of misleading them?
Social Media is the New Hallway
For today’s students, social media is more than entertainment, it’s where conversations happen, communities form, and identities are shaped. Friendships are formed through Snapchat Streaks. Fundraisers go viral on TikTok. Students are using platforms to organize rallies, share mental health resources, and launch peer-to-peer tutoring accounts.
The upside? Students are more connected than ever before. The challenge? They’re also navigating a flood of content that isn’t always fact-checked, sourced, or even true. The all-too-real looking videos that turn out to be AI are sure to influence classroom conversations. Now is a prime time to talk about misinformation and teach the next generation to be digitally literate.
The Misinformation Test
Students of all ages are now integrating AI into their daily lives, but aren’t necessarily savvy about it. That means that when misinformation or AI-generated content makes its way into their feeds, it can quickly take root. For example, most of us have seen the bunnies jumping on a trampoline, which went viral, but was later exposed to have some hallmarks of being AI generated.
This isn’t just a “social media problem,” it’s a civic one. Being able to separate fact from fiction impacts everything from public health to climate action to voting behavior. Media and social media literacy is becoming a life skill as essential as math or reading, and it’s increasingly clear schools and teachers need to be thinking about how to incorporate it into their curriculum. A recent article from The Washington Post, “How to spot an AI video? LOL, you can’t,” quips, “The tips to sleuth AI-generated videos are becoming obsolete.” And with the speed at which kids scroll on social media, they aren’t pausing and taking the time to question if something is real – many young kids don’t even know they should.
That’s why it helps to practice a few quick gut-checks:
- Consider the source. Is the account or website credible? Do they have a track record of reliable information?
- Look for imperfections. While the tell-tale signs of AI-generated images and videos are getting harder to distinguish, take a moment to look for disappearing objects, hands with too many fingers, distorted backgrounds, or mismatched lighting.
- Ask, does this make sense? If something feels exaggerated, illogical, or “too good (or bad) to be true,” it’s worth pausing before sharing or believing it.
What Nonprofits Can Do
If your mission touches education, youth engagement, mental health, or civic participation, you have a role to play in shaping the digital literacy conversation. Even small steps can have an impact:
- Highlight credible voices: Share content from trusted experts in your field so students know where to look for reliable information.
- Partner with schools: Collaborate on social media literacy workshops or assemblies.
- Engage youth creators: Work with micro-influencers who can speak peer-to-peer in authentic ways.
The Big Picture
Back to school is no longer just about pencils, paper, and packed lunches, it’s about memes, trends, and TikTok sounds that ultimately influence the culture of the school year. The organizations that show up in these spaces with credible, relevant, and relatable content can help equip students with the tools they need to thrive both in the classroom and online.
Teachers, parents, and nonprofit professionals alike should also be authentic in their approach. It’s ok to admit we’ve all originally been duped by an AI-generated content or a viral piece of misinformation. I have well-educated friends who sent me or shared the fake Coldplay CEO statement on social media believing it was real. I’ve seen videos that I couldn’t tell if they were real or not – and that’s only going to become more common unfortunately. So expecting our kids, whether they’re 6 or 21, to catch AI every time is unrealistic, but we can be having that conversation and building critical thinking at any age.
In a fast-evolving digital world where “you can’t believe everything you see on the internet,” the stakes are too high to leave young people to figure it out alone. Let’s help them learn how to think critically, fact-check fearlessly, have a healthy suspicion of what’s on their feed, and above all, use their social media platforms for good.
